Yuru Yuri: Bottled Hearts
by Symantra
Summary: One could call it pressure, call it tension, even call it love: the bottled-up impulses that were never acted upon; rushing blindly into something, or overthinking it; saying one thing, but meaning another. Or, call it by its name—a blonde girl who makes things much, much more complicated than they should be. It's love, but not love. Credit to Redler Red7 for the cool cover art!
1. Chapter 1: Y

"This is so _boring_ ," Kyouko complained. A pencil dropped from her hand, rolling away a short distance before coming to a full stop. "Yui, I'm bored."

"I figured," the other girl said to herself. Her gaze didn't move from the pages of the book she was reading; in the corner of her eye, she watched Kyouko from across the clubroom's table.

"Yui! Look at me," demanded the blonde. "Yui! Do something funny," she tried again after receiving no response for her first command.

Still focused on her book, Yui took her time to reply. "No." Ignoring the whining that followed, she flipped the page and continued reading, making sure to keep track of Kyouko's location using her peripheral vision. _"I've been surprised too many times by her while I'm reading. Maybe if I pay attention, I can catch her."_

It was considerably dangerous to look away from Kyouko, especially when there was nobody else in the room. With both Chinatsu and Akari on sick leave thanks to some illness that nearly a quarter of their class had caught, Yui was left to take care of the pseudo club—and her best friend.

"Geez, you're boring too." Kyouko turned her head to the side, flicking her hair over her shoulder in Yui's general direction. "You'd think that a member of the _Amusement_ Club would be a bit more exciting!"

Ever the fast reader, Yui flipped the page again. "It was named incorrectly from the start. You don't do anything except slack off anyways, so you can't force us to screw around just for your own enjoyment."

"That's not what I said! Don't twist my words around!" Kyouko sent a glare in Yui's direction. "Now, entertain me."

 _Flip_. "It's what you meant. Plus, you literally just confirmed it by saying that," Yui sighed. "You're breaking my concentration. I'm trying to read."

Kyouko let out a sigh that dwindled into an exasperated groan. "Aaugh!" Her demeanor went from pushy to resigned almost instantly. "It's no fun without Akari here."

"Huh." Yui looked up. "It's unlike you to mention Akari out of nowhere. What about Chinatsu?"

"Aha!" Kyouko's voice instantly rose to a triumphant shout. "I finally got your attention!"

Yui stared levelly at her for a couple seconds. Then, without words, returned her attention to her book. "Yeah, yeah. Tell me if you need something."

"Yui. I need something," Kyouko's voice was laced with sweetness as she immediately took Yui up on that offer. The dark-haired girl looked up again, not even remotely surprised, and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want?" Yui decided to humor her friend, hiding her enjoyment with an annoyed tone. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't grateful for the company, but.. _"Even I wonder how I still have the patience to deal with her needless attention seeking."_

Not having prepared a request beforehand, Kyouko stopped right in her tracks. "Uhm.."

Yui fingered the next page of her book as she watched, as if she was restless to resume her reading. "So, what is it?"

"H-hold on, I'm thinking!" Assuming the generic thinking pose—a hand on her chin and the other on her elbow—she went silent for a while as she considered her options. Yui sighed and shook her head. _"Knowing Kyouko, she's probably sifting through a ridiculous list of even more ridiculous requests."_

Almost half a minute later, Kyouko snapped her fingers, breaking the silence that had formed. "I got it!"

"Hm." Having made minimal progress on her reading, Yui once again gave her attention to the other occupant of the room. "What? Did you come up with something?"

"Yeah! I know what I want now," Kyouko hummed in satisfaction.

Their eyes met, and Yui stared into Kyouko's eyes, noting the dormant excitement that shone within. _"I've never thought about it before, but I haven't ever seen anyone with the same dull-blue eyes as her. That's pretty nice.."_

Yui blinked, her train of thought coming to a halt. _"Huh. That's a strange way of putting it: 'That's pretty nice'? Seriously?"_ She broke eye contact, then cleared her throat (and her head). "Seriously, what do you want?"

In a voice that was nearly a yell, Kyouko made her suggestion: "Let's go over to Akari's house! Then, we can bring her to Chi—"

"Nope," Yui cut her off. "Were you even paying attention in class? The teacher told us at least three times, not to go visiting our friends or else we'll catch it. As much as I want to visit them too, we can't risk catching the bug."

Kyouko grumbled, slumping onto the table. "Nngh. Who cares."

"I do. I'm not gonna get sick knowing I could've avoided it." Sighing, Yui shook her head gently, somewhat worried about her friend's lack of common sense and apparent neglect for her own health.

"Oh! Let's go over to Ayano's house then," the blonde threw out another suggestion, holding a finger up as if it was a great idea. She wasted no time in coming up with ideas, for sure, but sometimes Yui felt like shooting each one down with a well-aimed bullet of logic. "Maybe Chitose will be there! And Chizururu!"

"First of all," Yui took a deep breath. "Just because Ayano and Chitose are close friends at school, doesn't mean they're always together. And Chizururu doesn't hang out with them anyways. Plus, you'll probably be bothering th—"

"You just called her Chizururu too, Yui-nyan!" Kyouko interrupted her, eyes lit up like fireworks as she scurried around the table to wrap the girl in a warm hug.

"Gah! I, I didn't mean to, you just.. it's your fault!" Yui recoiled out of surprise at how Kyouko had practically teleported to her side, but recovered quickly and glared, trying to detach the unwanted passenger who just tightened her grip and let out a muffled giggle. "Get off!"

"Noooo, Yuiiiii!" Kyouko complained, but after another ten or fifteen seconds of struggling, she let go and returned to her seat with a mischievous grin. "Yui, you're blushing!"

"Eh? No, no I'm not," she swallowed and looked away to the side; then, she looked back at her book; then, she sent another glare in Kyouko's direction.

"Just kidding. _Now_ you're blushing! Heh heh, do you like me or something?"

"Grr.." Wishing that intent translated to effect, Yui poured as much malice as possible into her aura. It sort of worked, but with the volatility of the girl sitting across from her, there was no way to be sure if the target had been properly scared into submission. "Anyways!"

"Go on, go on!" Her excited tone was perfect for a girl who never lacked enthusiasm. Either she was ignoring the visually transmitted death threat or she didn't notice; whatever it was, she didn't seem to mind that Yui would've gladly strangled her at that moment.

"Why haven't you suggested my apartment yet? No, not that I actually wanted you to come over!" She added the last part in a rush, having seen her childhood friend snap to attention at her word choice. "It's just that, usually you just go to my place, especially on Fridays."

"I go to your place all the time. It loses its charm, you know?"

"Really now?"

"It's great and all, but without variety there is no balance!"

"..."

"Plus, I sort of wanted to visit someone anyways."

"Ah."

Kyouko rambled on for a bit, but Yui's taciturnity and lack of enthusiastic "responses" did not go unnoticed for long. Yui rolled her eyes and ignored her friend's muttered parting shots.

In the silence that followed, Yui found it difficult to concentrate on her book even though Kyouko was, for once, giving her space. What was on her mind was something that the girl had mentioned—or rather, something she hadn't mentioned.

 _"She never invites anybody over to her house, does she?"_

It was just a passing thought, one of those ideas that should've been gone the next moment, yet the question burned in her mind like a firebrand. Kyouko's behavior all made sense: everything added up so well it was almost _suspicious_. She just had to know, had to know why..

"Hey, Kyouko," Yui said slowly. "I was sort of wondering about.." Her voice trailed away as she came to the realization that she was talking to no one. "Huh? Kyouko?"

 _ **Line Break**_

"Really? What kind of person just _forgets_ to wait for their friend? You're even following me home, for gods' sake, at least be polite and walk with me!"

"I already apologized! Plus, Akari's lack of presence is starting to rub off on you. It's getting tougher to remember that you're here.."

"I think that's less of a problem with me or Akari, and more of a problem with you!"

The back-and-forth banter continued for the duration of the walk to Yui's apartment, ending once they reached the front door of their destination.

Neither of them spoke while the host dug in her pocket for the key, for there weren't any words to be said. They were the only two around, so it was completely quiet with the exception of their own breathing and their footsteps as they walked through the door.

Kyouko tossed her bag against the wall of the central room like she always did. Previously, Yui made the random observation that her friend always seemed to favor that particular side of her apartment—during meals, her back would face that wall; when the table was moved to make room for futons, Kyouko would adamantly insist that it be moved to the opposite side of the room. Yui had no idea why her friend had taken such a liking to that particular part of her living quarters, but from that day on she labelled that wall as Kyouko's and acted accordingly. That included leaving the empty space.. well, empty.

While her visitor unwound in the living room, Yui first went to her kitchen to search for refreshments. A voice called out from behind her as she dug through the fridge, but she ignored it for a variety of reasons. Once she found what she wanted, she shut the door and made her way into the other room. "What?"

Kyouko sat up so that her hands were in her lap between her outstretched legs, grinning as Yui cautiously moved towards the table. "Oh, perfect timing. I was just starting to get thirsty!"

"Shut it," Yui rolled her eyes.

Placing the tray down, she took the seat on the adjacent side from Kyouko, who immediately reached for the cup and filled it with juice. Normally this action would've merited a disapproving look, but Yui's mind was elsewhere at the time.

 _"This is a good time to ask her about it, huh?"_

She grabbed her own cup and slowly lifted it to her lips, easily glancing sideways at her friend. Right now, Kyouko was in a neutral state—there would be no spontaneous outbursts until they were triggered, by boredom or whatever else, so Yui would have to make the most of this situation.

"Kyouko," she started. "I want to ask you something."

A pair of blue eyes met hers. "What's up?"

"I'm sort of curious.. How come you never invite anybody over to your house?" Yui asked and took another sip of her drink. "It seems like you're always visiting someone else, but never at your place," she observed. Her eyebrows came together and she pursed her lips trying to remember, "Actually, have I even been to your house before? I've been in front of it, but.. I don't think I've been inside. I don't think I've met your parents, either.."

She had been deep in thought, thinking out loud, but even when she came to, Kyouko was turned half-away from her, completely quiet, lost in thought as well.

"Hmm? Kyouko?" Yui stared at the still wall of lightly colored hair, which the face of her lifelong friend was hiding behind. It flowed down past her shoulders, stopping evenly around her elbows.

"W-wha?! Oh, nothing.." Startled, she spun around with the look of someone who had been caught rifling through someone else's belongings. "Um, I thought you'd been there at least once.. haha, ah.." Her laugh wasn't her own; it lacked the over-the-top flippancy that was always present. Instead, she sounded put off.. Guilty, maybe? Or relieved..?

"There just isn't anything interesting over at my house anyways.. I mean, I don't have games or a computer or anything.. and my house isn't actually that big. Yours is like.. like.. well, I only have one room, and you have the entire apartment to yourself.." Kyouko rambled on, oblivious to the fact that Yui had already lost interest in the hastily put-together explanation.

Yui stared at Kyouko, taking notice of all her behavioral tics: the stammering, the fleetingly moving eyes, the nervous tone of voice, and the excessive amount of ellipses in her speech. It was rare enough for Kyouko to hesitate, let alone stumble this much in a single event. _"What's up with her? Is this a sensitive topic?"_

Whatever was causing the normally unstoppable Kyouko Toshinou to freeze up and become a stuttering mess was probably related to her personal life in some way. Yui corrected herself: it _was_ related to her personal life, for her to act exceedingly out of character like this.

Whatever it was, she took it upon herself to find out more. As Kyouko's best friend and closest companion since their childhood, she—Yui Funami—would have to be the one to step in. Even if it meant prying into her personal matters, Yui was the detective and this was her case.

"Kyouko," she said with conviction. Apparently still trying to explain herself, Kyouko jumped to attention and shut her mouth, giving her attention to Yui. As soon as the girl's eyes landed on her, Yui's mind drew a blank; struggling to find words, she swallowed and averted her eyes the slightest bit. _"Of all times.. and after such a determined monologue, too.."_

"Y-yes?" Kyouko's voice was quieter than usual. Hearing the subdued response caused something to stir inside of Yui.

"Kyouko.. you can trust me," she said slowly, bidding her voice to steady itself. "I don't know what the problem is, but if you tell me, then.. It won't change the way I see you.

"You're my best friend, and we've known each other for forever. Even though you can be a handful, I wouldn't have it any other way." The words felt cliché the moment they left her mouth.

Kyouko stared at her wide-eyed, open-mouthed. There may as well have been an angelic spotlight encasing Yui, because the other girl looked about ready to kiss her—the thought of kissing her best friend stayed in her head for just a split second too long.

"Yui.. thanks!" For a second, a familiar smile returned to Kyouko's face. But then, that smile was replaced by the same distracted look that Yui decided she didn't like.

When Kyouko went silent, Yui shifted in her seat and said, "Whenever you're ready. I can wait as long as it takes." She hoped that she wasn't being too pushy, but she still needed to know exactly what was going on here.

"Okay.. I'll tell you," the blonde said. "You want to know.. why I don't want people at my house, right?"

Yui nodded.

"Okay.. okay. Alright." Her voice changed pitch with each word, and she breathed in deeply through her slightly parted lips, then she said, "I'll tell you."

Yui understood that Kyouko was mentally bracing herself, but it didn't stop her from feeling a twinge of impatience. _"Come on, let's hear it.."_

One of Kyouko's hands fingered a couple locks of her hair, while the other went up and tugged at the neck of her shirt. Rubbing the material between her fingers, she gulped and wet her lips. "Umm.. this actually feels sort of embarrassing to talk about.."

"You? Embarrassed?" Yui deadpanned. It was an automatic response, just her initial response to the statement, but it brought a smile to Kyouko's face.

"Heh.. thanks. I know, I'm all bent out of character right now.." She giggled, then sighed—but without her previous seriousness. "I don't know the best way to say this, but.. the only reason I don't have anybody come over is because.. well, it would just be uncomfortable.

"I don't remember if I've told you this already, but I live alone with my mom. I don't know a lot about my dad, but I do remember Mom telling me that I was a lot like him: blonde hair with blue eyes and a carefree attitude."

Seeing the question in Yui's eyes, Kyouko preemptively answered, "My dad is still alive, but he isn't around all the time. He comes by often, maybe two or three times a week, but he can't stay for more than an hour at a time."

"Is it because of his work?"

"Don't know. My mom says I shouldn't ask about it, and even when I do my dad just changes the topic. Every week he brings us some money, but it's not enough to make it seem like he was doing something illegal. I mean, about ¥50,000 a week is average pay, right?"

Kyouko tilted her head, and when she continued it was in a slow, unsure voice. "Sometimes when my dad visits, I walk in on them sitting together. Dad isn't smiling or frowning or anything.. he just sits there like he's reading a book, except he isn't reading. And Mom just looks.. sort of annoyed, but I can't tell. It's just like.. she doesn't like being near him. But when they see me, they both start smiling and talking again.. but it sounds so forced, I could probably tell even if I hadn't seen it a million times."

Yui's mind raced, recreating Kyouko's parents and the scenario she was given. A couple sitting in a room without any communication until their daughter arrived. And then, they were all fabricated smiles and insincere words, which were so obviously fake that their daughter could easily tell.

Somehow, just imagining it made her wither on the inside.

"My mom is terrible at hiding it.. she's always on her guard when my dad visits, she's always finding excuses to go to a different room, she never tries to talk with him.. It's like every time I open the door and see my dad smiling, I turn around and see my mom leaving the room. It's so disturbing, and it just makes me feel uncomfortable around both of them. It's like my mom is practically telling me not to trust him, like she has a hidden reason for avoiding him."

Hearing a note of desperation in the speaker's voice, Yui almost didn't notice herself moving just a little bit closer to the girl as Kyouko continued. "So yeah.. I have no idea what to think of my parents when they're together. And I.. I.. don't have an idea of what to say next.. there's too much I want to say but I don't where to start.. Sorry.."

"Don't apologize. Let's see.." Yui smiled quickly at her. "Tell me about your mom. You can start there."

Kyouko tensed her shoulders then relaxed them. "My mom.. To be honest, I don't really feel that close to her. She gives me a lot of freedom, but I feel like she only does it so I'm not bothering her," she said. Her throat rose as she swallowed nervously. "She signs whatever I need her to, she anywhere I want.. she never says anything. It's like she doesn't care. Do you remember that one time where I spent a week at your house?"

Yui told her that she remembered. It wasn't that long ago, about a month previously.

"Well, I didn't tell her about it. It was sort of like an experiment for me, to see how she would react."

"Really?" Yui's eyebrows went up. If she had tried to pull a stunt like that, her own parents would've snapped. "And how did she?"

"She didn't say anything when I came back," Kyouko answered. "I had sort of expected it, so it wasn't a total shock, but the reality of it still hurts a bit.."

Suddenly, Yui felt a barely repressible urge to hug the girl. She stopped herself.

"It was like she hadn't even noticed I was gone.. Sometimes, we don't talk for days. When she cooks, there's a plate of food in the fridge. When she doesn't, there's money on the counter."

To say that Yui was surprised would be an understatement. Shocked, appalled, speechless.. all those words meant the same thing, but none of them came close to describing her inner vortex of thoughts and emotions. In a quiet voice, Yui asked, "How about your dad?"

"He's much friendlier. Whenever he comes by, it already feels like I've spent more time with him than I have with my mom.. he really is just like me, you know? We have matching hair color and eye color, and we can hang out for hours.. we can talk about the randomest things, and it always feels so natural. But there's like an unwritten rule to not bring up our personal lives.. he doesn't talk about his work or his life, and I don't talk about Mom or my life. It's all.. superficial stuff. Don't get me wrong, he's great, but.. it doesn't feel real. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm actually related.. if the only thing connecting us is our appearances."

"..." Yui didn't know what to say. She didn't even know if she should say anything. All of this had just been sprung on her, like water flooding through a broken dam. She had known Kyouko for the majority of her life, but she had never known that there was such a depressing history behind the upbeat, overbearingly friendly individual.

For gods' sake, she had known Kyouko for the majority of her life, and she was just now her story?

"Oh.. I think I got a little sidetracked. I never answered your question," Kyouko realized. Her head moved up and down, nodding to herself as she opened her mouth to speak.

"No.. no," Yui stopped her. "No.. I think you've answered it enough.. Sorry for making you say all of that."

"Don't apologize." A smile reached Kyouko's face as she repeated Yui's words from earlier. It was a sad smile, Yui realized, but not a bitter smile. It was a smile that cried for itself, so that the person wearing it wouldn't have to. It was a smile that was the last thing keeping the wearer from breaking down. It was the smile that only some people had—people who carry the weight of their world on their shoulders, who can only drop that burden when they were around their friends.

Suddenly, Yui felt unstoppably compelled to hug the girl. So, that's what she did.

"It's better to let everything out, right?" Apparently not surprised at all, Kyouko just wrapped her arms around the girl who was holding her tightly. Yui could practically feel the smile on her face. "Don't bottle it up inside of you, that's what you aren't supposed to do.

"Mhm.. that's right." Yui's voice was muffled by the folds of Kyouko's clothes. "Kyouko.."

"Yeah, Yui?"

"I'll protect you. I won't ever leave you."

Kyouko just laughed. Not in a mocking way, not in a bitter way. She laughed like she was happy, sitting here with the only person who had known her forever without actually knowing her.

"Heheh.. We're both out of character today, aren't we?" Kyouko said. Yui nodded, tightening her grip on the girl's small shoulders. ".. Thanks, Yui. I appreciate it."

"Y-yeah.. don't mention it."

Yui didn't say it out loud, but it rang out crystal clear in her mind:

 _"Kyouko.. I'll be with you forever. I want to be by your side, so that nothing will ever happen to you again._

 _"That's okay.. right?"_


	2. Chapter 2: A

**A/N (half of this is important, read if you please!)**

 **I try to avoid putting author's notes at the beginning of a chapter, so this is most likely going to be a one-time occurrence. I'll get right to the point—thank you for reading! Due to the site's limitations when it comes to story tags and description, I need to say a couple of things. First of all, this story is about Kyouko, Yui, and Ayano. Guess who's in the center of this triangle? If you said Yui, you get a cookie! But you're wrong, it's Kyouko.**

 **Anyways, this story _will not_ be prioritizing one pairing over the other. Certain chapters will specialize in certain characters: either two characters, just one, or several different people. So basically,  each character has equal significance in this story.**

 **Second, the story _is_ not simply a romantic triangle between the characters. I can't make that clear using the maximum of two genre tags, but this story is one part romance, one part friendship, one part drama, you get the point.**

 **That'll be it. I hope this cleared things up a bit, so please—enjoy Yuru Yuri: Bottled Hearts!**

* * *

"I'm so _hungry_!" Kyouko whined, throwing herself towards the closest person. That happened to be Ayano, who was currently seated at one of the four desks in the student council room. This was a completely normal occurrence—likewise, no one gave it a second thought when the vice president went tumbling to the floor.

"Ah! T-Toshinou..! " Struggling with both her words and the girl pinning her to the ground, Ayano kicked her legs and thrust her hands out. Basically, she was flailing around impotently.

"Oh, Ayano. It's you," Kyouko hummed in an unconcerned manner, ignoring the fact that she might be smacked upside the head any moment now.

"W-what the hell, Dell?!" Ayano's voice rose as she continued her pitiful attempt to escape, earning her a curious look or two from the rest of the student council members.

"Sugiura-senpai, that pun wasn't actually very good. Maybe you're losing your touch?" Leaning forwards over the table, Sakurako seemed to express a complete lack of interest for her higher-up's predicament. Her caretaker and companion—who else but Himawari—grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her back down into the desk.

"Don't antagonize her. Can't you see that she's suffering?" Himawari scolded her friend, but the sideline support did little to help the girl who was "suffering".

"Shut up! Neither of you are helping, by the way!" Ayano complained, still not any closer to getting up.

"Ayano.." Kyouko hummed. "I'm hungry."

"Why should I care?!" She turned her head to the side; Kyouko's face was too close for comfort. "Hurry up, get off of me!"

Kyouko sighed, then crossed her arms and rested her chin on top. Her absolute disregard for Ayano's personal space led to the girl squirming uncomfortably beneath her.

"F-fine! I'll give you my pudding, just let me go.." Her voice had lost its urgency, its flare, and had died down to a resigned whimper. But with those words came her freedom, as her tormentor swiftly rolled to her feet and extended a hand and a smile.

"Thanks, Ayano! I knew I could count on you!"

Reaching out, she cautiously accepted the proferred hand, still wary of being tackled once more. "T-Toshinou, Kyouko.. You really are troublesome!"

Even if the blonde had heard her words, she didn't seem inclined to reply. She was already digging through the minifridge in the corner of the room.

 _"Toshinou Kyouko.."_ Ayano blew out of the side of her mouth, sitting up with all remaining dignity. _".. Do you have to be so insensitive?"_

Flushed red, she returned to her seat to continue the paperwork she had been working on before the disturbance.

"Oh, my pen.." Ayano realized that she had probably lost her grip on her writer's tool when she had hit the ground. Her eyes scanned the floor, but before she could get up to continue searching, someone held out a hand in front of her.

The student council president had been watching the whole event with mild interest. When a black pen had rolled underneath her desk, she took the liberty to reach down and pick it up. Now, she held out the pen to its owner with a couple words of explanation.

"I see. Thank you, President!" Ayano took the pen with a smile. Rise returned the smile, then returned to whatever work she was doing.

Now that the crisis was over, the room's occupants returned to their occupations. Or at least, they ignored the girl who was dancing about the room, hovering over their shoulders, and making trivial comments about trivial topics.

".. and it would really help bring all of you guys together! Do you agree?" Kyouko finished, holding up a finger for emphasis.

Ayano looked up at their visitor and blinked. Just when she had managed to tune out the chatter, she was now being asked for confirmation about.. something. Knowing Kyouko, it probably wasn't that important. That being said, it was also a bad idea to blindly agree with something Kyouko said.

After a quick evaluation of all her options, Ayano picked the most reasonable-sounding choice. She looked directly at the blonde girl, who was patiently waiting for an answer, and sighed. "Toshinou Kyouko, don't you have anything better to do? Homework? Drawing? Yui?"

Kyouko looked surprised for just a moment, but she covered it up easily. "Nope! I'm done with my homework, my drawings, and Yui!"

Ayano was stunned at the nonchalance and second meaning in the blonde's words, but she calmed down at the sight of the roguish grin on Kyouko's face. Although, the "confession" elicited a cry of alarm, not from Ayano but from behind her. She whipped around instinctively, only to find—!

There wasn't actually any cause for distress. Ayano quickly reassured the rest of the startled student council; they took her weak smile into consideration and politely returned to their work. Then she turned to Chitose and raised an eyebrow to ask, "Chitose, what's wrong?"

Chitose's first move was to close the distance between her and Ayano, which she did by grabbing her target's arm and pulling her close. Ignoring her friend's surprise, she whispered fiercely, "Ayano-chan! You have to tell her about your feelings!"

"W-wha?! What are you asking all of a sudden?" An aggressive blush took over her face, and there was nothing she could do about it. Of course, she knew exactly what was being hinted at; it was difficult to miss her friend's ulterior motives.

Her white-haired friend continued, "Think! What happens if she ends up on Yui's route? Ayano-chan, tell her your feelings!"

"Ch-Chitose, shh! Quiet down!" Panic arose in Ayano's chest at the intensity of Chitose's insistence. What if the girl in question overheard?

But she was too late to stop what was probably inevitable anyways. Speak of the devil, and there she was—and she was usually interested in hearing what's being said of her.

"Huh? Tell who about your feelings? Are you gonna confess to someone?" Kyouko immediately fired off two questions, three if the first "inquiry" was to be counted.

"T-Toshinou Kyouko! Nothing!" Ayano was in a full-blown panic now, and she didn't hide it well.

"Uhh, 'nothing' doesn't really work here.." Kyouko put a finger on her chin to feign thought. "Maybe you meant to say, 'Yes, I am in fact going to confess to my crush!' And then you'll say, 'I can prove it! T-T-T-Toshinou Kyouko, watch me and I'll confess right now!' Or something like that."

The blonde continued her rambling, but Ayano was too beside herself with embarrassment to notice. _"Does she know? She has to know. Everybody says it's obvious. She knows, doesn't she? There's no way she hasn't noticed. She probably knows. I think she knows. Wait.. just now, she said.. 'I'll confess right now'.. does she.._

 _"Does Toshinou Kyouko want me to confess to her?! Right now?!"_ Ayano's mental state was in a mess. She had a two-second moment of "clarity" in which she asked herself if she was delusional, then responded, _"Probably!"_

And then, she felt eyes on her: curious eyes. Maybe she had let out a nervous squeak without knowing. That, or everybody in the room was curious about her answer. Maybe both.

Flustered, she looked to her superior for help. She didn't know why, because the student council president didn't have much of a presence or influence in these kind of things. Sure enough, all Rise did was smile and mouth, "Best of luck."

Chitose was still holding onto her. As if this was her cue to move, she tore away from the grip and escape. Fortunately, there was nothing stopping her from leaving. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure she had been yelling something strange all the way to the exit, and the worst part was that she couldn't even recall what she had been saying.

Ayano took off at a sprint as soon as she set foot in the hallway, not even bothering to close the door behind her. There wasn't any sign of pursuit, but she still wanted to put some distance between that room and herself. While she was fleeing from the scene, the thought crossed her mind that she shouldn't be running inside the building, so she slowed down to a walk.

After a couple seconds, she slapped herself on the forehead and picked up the pace until she was around a jogging speed. Turning the corner, she casually ran toward two students in the otherwise-empty halls, hoping they would assume that she had some urgent business to attend to or something like that. Sure enough, they waved and smiled but didn't ask any questions. _"Perfect,"_ Ayano nodded, pleased with the results.

She continued running for about a minute, through the hallways until she found herself out of hallway. The path she had taken only had about two or three corners to turn, so there was still a high likelihood that someone would see her if she stayed here. Thankfully, she was conveniently located near the roof-access staircase.

The door to the rooftop opened easily, swinging outwards on its hinges with barely any noise. Ayano had barely even taken a step outside before a gust of wind wrapped itself around her: cool, fresh air.

Ayano walked slowly out into the open area, hoping that there wouldn't be anybody else present. When she had confirmed there was nobody else around, she put her back to the concrete wall and slid to the ground with a sigh.

"Why am I even running, anyways.. I probably just made it two times harder to explain myself," she lamented. Sure, a hasty getaway got her out of the current predicament. But as the saying goes, running away won't solve your problems. Later, whether it was today or tomorrow, she would have to show herself to the student council and Kyouko, and there was no doubt they would grill her about what had just happened.

"Toshinou Kyouko.." Just saying the name made her want to pinch something. Ayano groaned and pulled her knees into her chest. "Seriously.. what the heck?"

There was a tiny movement in her peripheral vision, which turned out to be the door to the staircase swinging in the wind. Like an afterthought, she stood up and went to close it.

"Sugiura Ayano!"

To say she was actually hurt from being knocked back and falling to the ground would be an overstatement. However, she was pretty startled.

"Hey.." Ayano's protest faltered on her lips as she looked up and realized who she had bumped into.

"Hey!" What she had just said was repeated but with different tone, and for the second time today Kyouko held out a hand to help her up. "Didn't see you there. Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"T.. T-Toshinou Kyouko!" Ayano stared, wide-eyed in shock. She was too stunned to even accept the gesture.

"Hmm?" When her hand wasn't taken, Kyouko took it upon herself to lift her shell-shocked friend up off the ground and dust her off; she did all of this so innocently, so casually.

"What are you doing here?" Ayano said, feeling her voice rise in pitch and speed. On top of that, her uncontrollable blush was starting to return. _"Crap.. thinking in hindsight, going to the roof was pretty predictable.."_

"Oh," Kyouko shrugged. "Well, you know when you ran away?"

"Eh? How would I _not_ know something like that?" Ayano deadpanned, temporarily forgetting about her own embarrassment at the inane question.

"Of course you do. Well, you were sort of yelling my name as you were running away, so I just took that as you wanted me to follow you."

".. Eh? Seriously?" For some reason, the fact didn't even surprise her. If anything, she was more on the disbelief side of denial than the embarrassment side.

"Yep. You were all like, 'T-T-Toshinouuuuu! K-K-Kyoukooooo!' It was so cool, I could even hear you after you had left!" Kyouko seemed to be taking all of this very lightly. Ayano tried to imagine that she was being mocked, but the manner in which Kyouko was interacting with her didn't really support the idea. It was sort of hard to be insulted when talking to someone so spontaneous, excitable, and downright volatile—not in a bad way, more like in a fun way.

Before she could reply, the blonde girl started talking again. "So, are you gonna confess? That's what you were gonna do, right? Are you really going to let me watch?!"

At this, Ayano froze, uncapable of answering the triple shot of questions for obvious reasons. How was she _supposed_ to answer? Should she lie or tell the truth?

Calling on the part of her brain that wasn't unresponsive, she asked herself—it was more like begging, actually—what she should do.

Ayano liked Kyouko. It was difficult to explain; there was no rhyme or reason behind her feelings. She was just sort of.. attracted to Kyouko. Even though having such a hyperactive person for a friend might be too much for her to handle, she couldn't help but want to get closer to her. It was a paradox, and she contradicted herself with every thought about the energetic blonde girl. Yet, she still found herself blushing at the slightest bit of physical contact, and the most platonic statements..

What finally snapped her into action was Chitose: or at least, something Chitose had said quite a while ago that she couldn't bring herself to forget. _"Ayano-chan, you should be more honest with yourself."_

 _"But what if she thinks I'm weird?"_ Ayano pleaded, as if the fragment of a memory would actually respond. "Chitose" didn't.

"That.. can be seen as a good and bad thing.." Ayano sighed. For the second time that day, she put her back to the wall and let her body slide to the ground.

"Hm? What is it?" Kyouko, still playing the oblivious card.

"Nothing.. nothing, Toshinou Kyouko.." Ayano mumbled and hid her face deeper in her arms. _"Are you actually innocent, or are you just playing with me? Seriously.. I wish I could tell.."_

Her companion didn't answer, for obvious reasons. Ayano dared to sneak a glance at the girl, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. The girl's head was leaning up against the wall, her eyes cast toward the sky like there was a cinematic playing in the heavens. One leg bent and the other straight, with an arm draped over her knee, Kyouko was in a rare moment of calm.

"Hey, Ayano, I don't mean to be rude, but how long are we going to wait?" Kyouko said after a while. "When did you tell her to show up?"

"H-huh? Wait, wait, why did you just assume it was a girl?" Although it was quite clear that there was quite a great deal of dramatic irony in the difference between their interpretations of the situation, Ayano was still curious on how Kyouko had unintentionally (or perhaps, knowingly) hit the nail on the head.

Tilting her head and speaking like it was common knowledge, Kyouko explained that she had never, never seen Ayano interact with any person of the opposite gender. That went for pretty much everybody she knew, as well.

Even though her logic was solid, Ayano couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at how Kyouko seemed to have no qualms or hesitation in assuming she was lesbian. _"Even if she's right, it's sort of rude.."_

"Just in case you're wondering, I don't really care," Kyouko spoke up. "I think it's sort of stupid how people get into arguments about who likes who."

It was like some of the weight on Ayano's shoulders had been lifted; hearing Kyouko's thoughts on orientation was like dipping her consciousness in cold, refreshing water. It took considerable effort to keep herself from cheering as loud as she could.

"What about you?" Ayano made her voice as casually inquisitive as possible.

Kyouko turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"W-well.. you know.."

Embarrassed to answer, Ayano said nothing more. Thankfully, Kyouko seemed to notice and guessed the question. "Do you mean, my interests?"

Ayano nodded.

"Well.. I don't really know," Kyouko exhaled heavily. "I haven't really felt that way about anyone, yet. Maybe I'm aromantic or something weird like that!"

While Kyouko seemed strangely interested in the idea, Ayano's breath caught in her throat. _"Don't let that be the case! I hope she isn't actually aromantic.."_

Oddly enough, that was what gave her a burst of confidence; she would tell Kyouko how she felt, because this was a chance she couldn't afford to miss!

However, the adrenaline of conviction only lasted a few seconds. In the time that Ayano had spent being pleased about her decision, all the determination that could've been used to confess right then and there had dissipated. Now, she hadn't the slightest idea on how to say it; all she could manage was a disappointed sigh and to hug her knees to her chest.

It was at that moment that Kyouko unwittingly threw her a lifeline: "So, back to my original question. Is she going to be here soon?"

She was sure she had literally yelped out of excitement, but she didn't wait to seize the chance. Swallowing hastily, she nodded and stumbled to her feet. "Actually, she's already here!"

Her words were smooth, no doubt about that, but her voice crack subtracted from the effect. Nonetheless, Kyouko was taken aback. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Ayano ignored the question. "T-Toshinou Kyouko!" Listening to herself was almost painful, but she was trying her best to keep her voice steady and herself from trembling.

"Y-yeah.." Surprisingly, Kyouko seemed to falter for a moment before she nodded.

After a few failed attempts, Ayano swallowed and wet her lips. _"I.. I can't.."_

But Kyouko was waiting, watching her with unmasked interest. She had come this far; there was no choice but to throw caution to the wind. _"Take a deep breath, and tell her how you feel!"_

"Toshinou Kyouko, I.. I love you!" She almost yelled, and a molten-red blush erupted over her features. "I mean.. I l-like.. you.."

Suddenly Ayano was overtaken by a surge of.. something. Incoherent threads of thoughts cascaded through her head like a waterfall; all sounds of the real world were drowned out amongst voices screaming embarrassment, regret, and of the worst-case scenario. Her consciousness was a mess, and her vision was soon to follow. The sky dropped out of sight, the person standing in front of her became no more than a blurred image. She felt like she lost the ability to breathe, and it became a challenge to stay standing.

 _"Is it supposed to be this bad?"_ She cried desperately in her mind, not knowing if the words had escaped her lips as well. She couldn't feel a thing—not the wind over her head, not the tiles below her feet. Time was, at the moment, unmeasurable—Ayano had no idea how long she had stood still, silent, incapacitated. It wasn't until hands gripped her shoulders that the darkness started to ease.

".. Ayano.. Ayano.. Seriously, are you okay?" Kyouko—who else would it be?—shook her back and forth, a bit too roughly for Ayano to stand. Her legs felt like they would give out any second now.

"To.. Toshinou," she croaked. There was something she had to say, but she didn't know what it was. All she could do was try to swallow the lump in her throat and shut her eyes tightly. But as soon as she closed her eyes, they flew open again in surprise.

"You know, Ayano.." Kyouko was hugging her, face buried in her shoulder. "That's the first time someone's said that to me. No joke, no lie."

The fact should have been shocking, intriguing, or at least meriting some inquiry. Yet, Ayano offered none of these; she stayed quiet, mentally replaying the words Kyouko had uttered at such a sincere volume.

"I don't mean to be a downer or anything.. and I'm not trying to change the subject," Kyouko said, still hugging her. "But you're the first person to ever say that to me. Not my parents, not any of my other friends."

Mildly surprised, Ayano was still at a loss for words; she briefly wondered that if she ended up being the one to comfort Kyouko, she would probably need the power of speech. Those thoughts were put to an end when a pair of blue eyes suddenly rose to meet her own.

"Thanks, Ayano. I mean this in the best possible way, but.. I can't respond with 'I love you' just yet." Kyouko smiled. It wasn't her normal smile, but something.. something happier. "Before we get to that, we should get to know each other a bit more. Right?"

"Y-yeah.. you're right." To say that she was disappointed would be only half true. Of course, that was how she felt at first; she was allowed to dream, right? Regardless, Kyouko's feelings about her had to be taken into account. If the feeling wasn't mutual, then..

The feeling wasn't mutual, _yet_. Kyouko had hinted at it herself, but Ayano still had to make sure: "Toshinou Kyouko.. Are you saying.."

"Let's go out," finished the blonde girl with a grin. "Does that sound right?"

Words could not express how Ayano felt at that moment: exhausted, embarrassed, ecstatic, the list went on and on. Her cheeks were aflame, her face entirely crimson red, but despite it there was no way she could stop herself from smiling. She didn't hesitate in accepting Kyouko's outstretched hand, taking it in her own; it was cool, and smooth, and a little bit smaller than hers.

"Yep.. that sounds right, Toshinou Kyouko!"


	3. Chapter 3: Y

Friday was the only day of the week where Kyouko didn't follow Yui home from school. It was a brief, but much needed moment of respite. While Yui appreciated the company, sometimes it seemed like there was no time left for herself after she finished dealing with Kyouko. The girl was naturally a friendly and unconquerable soul, but those two aspects of her personality were so high over the top, she was able to annoy anyone out of their skin. Yui somehow managed to keep her sanity in check and be close friends with Kyouko at the same time, but that didn't lessen the importance of having leisure time to think and be alone.

They say that if you treat a stray cat or dog with love and care, then it's not uncommon that you'll find them reappearing on your door step night after night. Yui's "stray" was no exception from this rule. She had been counting the consecutive days that she had opened her door to let Kyouko into her apartment: twenty four. It was quite a long streak, and she had an idea of why the bubbly blonde girl had taken to daily visits. Kyouko herself had told her, not even a week ago, about the relationship between mother and father Toshinou. Obviously, things weren't getting any better in the girl's household, so it was only natural she would seek shelter with her best friend.

Yui breathed in and held it for a couple seconds before letting it out. She honed in on two things—her breathing and her footsteps—and tuned everything else out. This was a meditation process she used regularly, and she considered it a necessity in her daily routine. _"By focusing one's mind and body, they can strengthen their resolve and concentration, heightening their performance level or attuning themselves to their thoughts,"_ was her mantra. Even if meditation didn't actually help, the placebo effect that it _did_ would still help raise confidence. At the moment, she didn't need to prepare for a performance or feel confident for a presentation. Right now, she needed to clear her mind of everything but the topic at hand. Currently, she was struggling with something psychological rather than physical. Something directly related to her best, childhood friend.

A strong sense of friendship. That was the crux of the matter; as of late, Yui had been finding it tough to discern the line between friendship and.. something beyond that. This blurriness was extremely alarming; she was sure it was wrong to have such thoughts about her best friend. Surely, Kyouko didn't see her in that way. Didn't that mean Yui had no right to imagine the two of them in a romantic relationship?

These sort of unrequited feelings were dangerous—enough so that they could drive a rift in their relationship. It was already becoming uncomfortable to be near Kyouko. Yui didn't want these feelings to come between them, but this was something she couldn't control. Another thing she was worried about was the chance that she was just going through a phase. If these pseudo-romantic feelings were only temporary, then she wouldn't have to be concerned about them since they would eventually disappear. However, she wasn't sure how long she could keep them in check. After all, Kyouko was a self-proclaimed expert on, and she quoted, "identifying love and romance in the most unlikely of places". In the case that those blue eyes were indeed able to spot her feelings, then..

A heavy sigh left her lips, followed by a frustrated growl. She couldn't tell if she was being cautious or just plain indecisive. The one thing she knew for sure was that she had taboo feelings for her best friend—Kyouko Toshinou, of all people, and a girl at that! Did that not make the answer obvious, that she should just keep them to herself? Yui set a brisk pace for herself, the normality with what she walked hiding her inner conflict. When she was approaching the entrance of her apartment complex, she put a smile on her face for the landlord, who was just heading out.

"Oh, Yui-chan. Kyouko-chan isn't here with you, today?" Her relative smiled at her. It was more of a statement than a question, but Yui answered with a shake of her head to be polite.

"No, she went home for a while. I don't doubt that she'll come by to visit, though. You know how she is," she said. After that, she wrapped up the conversation with a hasty excuse and slipped past to get to the door. Again, she sighed, but this time in relief as she headed down the familiar dimly lit hallway toward her apartment. Her hand was already in her pocket searching for the key when she stopped in front of the door labeled 301 – Funami. She unlocked the door, and it opened with a small creak then closed with the same sound.

Now that she was inside the safety of her apartment, the stress drained from her shoulders. Yui filled her chest with air, then leaned against the closed door and her head against the wood, exhaling and letting relief fill the gap in her lungs. That marked her third sigh today—or at least, the third since she had left the club room. She hoped it wasn't going to become a habit. She shut her eyes, but opened them a moment later. It would be best to settle in before she started to get too relaxed. Dropping her bag down in its usual spot, she grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. It took her a few minutes to get dressed, after which she walked out into the living room with the intention to get a drink from the fridge. However, that thought disappeared and was replaced by confusion as she caught sight of the table in her living room.

As if set for two, a pair of plates and spoons were laid out on the table. In the center was a large white box with a simple logo printed on the top—"185°F Bakery"—of a business she had never even heard of before. Yui was positive that the table had been clear before she left the room. Her eyes darted about, scanning for a hint as to how the food had gotten there. Was someone in the apartment with her? That had to be the case. Yet, there were only two ways for a person to get inside; one was in her pocket, and the other was still in tact. That ruled out both a pickpocket and a housebreaker.

"You should see the look on your face!" Someone's voice, obviously belonging to the culprit, laughed. The familiarity of the voice confirmed Yui's earlier suspicions.

"How did you get inside my house, Kyouko?" She turned around and glared at Kyouko, who had a huge grin on her face.

"I'm actually sort of proud of this. Here, look!" Before Yui could process the warning, Kyouko's hand moved and tossed a small object at her. She reached out in the direction of the projectile, catching it by sheer luck and her slightly above-average reflexes.

".. Is this my house key?" She asked, eying the thing she held in her palm. "How did you get a copy of it?" Although Kyouko had broken into her house, Yui took a moment to admire the wax key and the fact that it apparently worked as intended.

"I found a book about locksmithing online, so I picked the lock and then duplicated the key using an impression and silicone!" Arms crossed and chest puffed out, Kyouko said the words with no small amount of pride. As if she had just remembered, her eyes went toward the forged item and her fingers followed suit, but Yui pulled her hand away and slipped it into her pocket.

"Just because I'm sort of impressed, I won't ask how you managed to get my house key and make a copy without my knowing," she said. Ignoring the dismayed pout on her friend's face, she waved at the table, at the white box and plates. "So, what's all this?"

"I brought cake," answered Kyouko. Yui shot her a look, and the blonde girl took a step back with her hands held up. "It's just cake, I swear it! I left the poison out this time, just for you." Kyouko sat down at the table and opened the box. While she was cutting the cake Yui sat down across from her and waited, somewhat annoyed but used to letting her friend direct the flow of conversation. She slid her plate across the table and it was returned to her with two small servings of dessert.

"Where did you get this from?" She asked, carving herself a bite of cake. Kyouko stopped and looked at her, spoon halfway to her open mouth.

"My dad bought it," she said. "He just got back from overseas, and he says he bought this for me. Since Mom was taking a nap, he told me to share it with my friends."

"Ah.." Yui bit the inside of her lip. That was a not-so-subtle hint at the current tension in the Toshinou household. "Why didn't you bring it to the club room? I'm sure Akari and Chinatsu would love to have some."

"Well.. It isn't that I don't like them," Kyouko paused. "But I feel like I'm always depending on you. I wanted to give you something in return, just because. Plus, these are tiny, so there wouldn't be a lot to share."

"I.. I see."

Yui continued to eat quietly, and so did Kyouko, to her surprise. She glanced at her visitor, but Kyouko was looking out the window. Her own eyes followed the girl's line of sight—nothing. _"She's probably thinking about her family.. Is there anything I can do to help?"_

A moment of silence turned into a minute of silence, then several. Yui began to feel more and more restless. Seeing the normally boisterous Kyouko Toshinou so quiet and withdrawn made her feel like she was treading on sacred ground, yet at the same time her heart was starting to beat faster and blood was rushing to her head. Nobody save for Kyouko herself was around; they were sitting together at the table, eating sweets over a pensive mood. It was the perfect time to say how she felt, but she felt like she would be taking advantage, or at the very least brushing aside the pressing issues that were clearly on Kyouko's mind. To break the silence and make sure her voice was functioning properly, she cleared her throat and made a pointless comment, to which Kyouko reciprocated with more enthusiasm than she had. This went on for a while, the pattern of Yui saying something and Kyouko saying twice as much, until she felt that she was fully "warmed up". Then, during a pause in the conversation, she spoke the words that had been on the tip of her tongue for the last couple of minutes.

"Kyouko, I have to tell you something," she started. Regret immediately flooded her senses. What if she was making a dangerous mistake?

"What's up?" A pair of eyes turned to her. The calm aura about Kyouko was offset by the shine and spark of mischief in her blue eyes. Yui suddenly imagined those same eyes staring at her not with friendliness, but disgust and a hint of betrayal. "Are you going to confess your love to me?" Kyouko leaned forwards across the table and fixed Yui with a lopsided grin. She was joking, of course, but Yui had recently started to look past her friend's vivacity. The question was absurd and Kyouko had an almost-sleazy look, yet she knew that the girl would never expect to have been correct.

"Well.." She was suddenly uncomfortable under her companion's gaze, her voice faltering and her eyes averting as she struggled for words. It seemed like everything only added to a sinking sensation of foreboding, like she was a trespasser in Kyouko's space, and being caught would permanently brand her a traitor.

"Huh? What's wrong, Yui? Are you okay?" Kyouko's voice changed just like that—from flippancy to concern. "I'm sorry if I made that awkward. I was only joking, but you probably know that.." Guilt started to show through the seams of Kyouko's words. Yui mentally cursed herself, knowing she was the cause. Although the enthusiast's sense of modesty was far from admirable, she could be thoughtful and considerate at times; the me-first attitude was only a facade, to keep the people around her with smiles on their faces.

"Yes.. yeah, I am," she nodded. Inadvertently, she had answered both of Kyouko's questions at the same time, although the other girl had no way of knowing that. On a whim, she decided to kick off of this opportunity. "I am going to confess my love for you," she stated.

".. Uh.." Kyouko's mouth hung open as the words sunk in. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Yui repeated. Panic fought against calm to be the adjective to describe how she felt inside. Kyouko had a great personality, a pretty face, and talents in the most random of places. She could read the mood and act accordingly, so there was no reason for Yui to worry. Still, part of her fathomed the chance of Kyouko overreacting, misunderstanding, or just plain out severing their friendship right then and there.

Ice-cold fear shot through her body as Kyouko slowly stood up, then turned in the direction of the door. "Wait! Don't leave!" Desperation controlled her voice as she reached out in a hopeless attempt to stop her best friend from leaving.

"No, Yui, you don't know.." Her voice was low, hollow, like she was afraid. "I can't, I.. I have to go," she muttered, getting farther away with each step. She walked past her bags, not even bothering to grab them as she headed for the exit.

"Kyouko, wait! I can explain!" Yui said, attempting to stand up but only managing to get up on both knees before stumbling over herself. "Please, just wait! There's more to it, it's just—" Her own voice cut her off, not allowing her to say anymore. She tried again, but all that came of it was a pitiful sound and a coughing fit. She fell forwards and threw out both hands to catch herself, and that's when she realized tears were obscuring her vision and falling to the floor. _"Why is this happening to me? What's wrong with me?"_ Yui wished she had never confessed her "love" in the first place. It was probably all wrong, anyways—just part of a phase, feelings that would suddenly disappear one day. Things would have went back to normal, but now she had dropped the glass and it was shattered into a thousand sparkling, see-through pieces that were symmetrical but not the same.

Kyouko stopped at the door, listening to her friend. She stopped and listened to the sniffling, the crying. She listened to Yui cry, a strong person reduced to someone weak, someone who needed help.

 _"It's my fault.."_

She had reached the door. Her hand was on the knob. She could leave right now, or she could stay. Her fingers, wrapped around the handle, loosened and fell to her side. She turned around, then walked back toward the table where her best friend—her first friend—lay, broken in spirit. Her heart wouldn't let her leave, not until she had fixed the wrongs she had done. She wouldn't leave, because if she did then the fragments of their bond would sink into the sand. If that happened, she could dig for the rest of her life and never find a single piece.


	4. Chapter 4: K

It was like a cloud of poisonous fog had displaced all of the air in the room. It was suffocating her, wreathing around her neck, layered with tension and heavy enough to instill panic in even Kyouko Toshinou. She wanted to badly to escape—to run to the door, the window; to throw it open and flee down the dimly lit hallways or jump out. If anything, it would get her out of this room, with its suffocating atmosphere and horrible sounds.

However, she knew without doubt that it would be the worst choice she would ever make. The second she stood up, the second she left the room, her relationship with Yui would be broken. At that point, it would be better if the two had never become friends in the first place. No—running away was not an option.

She felt helpless. For all of her reputation as the energetic, infinitely cheerful, always smiling girl, there was nothing she could say or do in this situation. When it was most important, her voice failed her and her smiled faded, and she was left helpless in the face of the one who needed her to be energetic, cheerful, and smiling. The irony was almost physically painful, not to mention frustrating beyond the point of agony.

Her head had been bowed while she tried to collect her thoughts. Yui had been crying the whole time, and Kyouko knew this although she had subconsciously filtered out the sound a while back to maintain her own sanity. A thread of hope was dangling in front of her, but it was becoming fainter with every passing moment. The crying would slow down, only to return moments later. Hope was consistently pulled from Kyouko's grasp. Why was she so useless? Where was her wit, her smile, her ability to lighten the mood by saying something, anything, off the top of her head?

However, Kyouko knew that it did not matter that she had "lost" part of her personality. Even if she had a chance to make a joke, a reason to smile, or words to disarm the situation, there was no way she could take them. There was no way she could attempt to brush this off as if it were not serious, as if it were a lighthearted matter. Her initial reaction had not been her own; she never would have acted so irrationally, so insensitively, and so ignorant of her best friend's feelings. Yet, her reaction had been her own. Thanks to her moment of shock, Yui was buried in undeserved feelings of guilt over this—over something that should have been trivial, especially to a person who never faulted and never cried.

After minutes of sitting without saying anything, Kyouko knew she would have to be the one to act first. Anything would be better than this silence filled with sobbing. She shut her eyes, grit her teeth, clenched her hands into fists, and tensed her shoulders.

"Yui..." It came out as a breath, so quiet she barely even heard herself. However, the person whose name she had called looked up at her with teary eyes; whether it was in response to what she had said, Kyouko did not know.

"K-Kyou... Kyouko, I..." Yui's voice, already unsteady and weak, faltered as the girl struggled to get a grip of herself. "I'm sorry. I, I shouldn't have said anything in the first place..."

"What are you apologizing for?!" The words came out forcefully, loud in comparison to the whisper of a conversation so far. It shocked both of them, Yui because of the change in volume and Kyouko because of how sudden her own reaction had been. "Don't say sorry, it's not your fault!"

Yui wiped at her face, trying to clear away the water in her eyes. Her lips were moving without sound, and Kyouko leaned in across the table. It crossed her mind to just move around to the other side, not only so she could hear, but so she could be closer. As she approached Yui, the guilt riding on Kyouko's shoulders started to weigh heavier. The black-haired girl was quivering like a rabbit facing death, and her hands still pawed at her eyes.

"I d-don't know why I'm crying... I don't know," she mumbled, not only once but twice, then thrice. If Kyouko had not intervened, the phrase might have been uttered enough times to fill a page in a notebook. She could no longer bear to see the pathetic state of her friend—this was unacceptable, for Yui of all people to be reduced to sobbing, sniffling, and shivering—and took the girl's arm with two hands.

"Yui, listen to me. Yui, please," she called several times. Her fear fed upon her friend's unresponsiveness, growing with every second that passed. She was afraid that she would be pushed away or struck across the face; at this moment, any form of rejection might cause her to lose her already fading courage. All that kept her holding on was pure willpower, in the name of helping Yui out of this hole.

"Kyouko, I'm sorry," Yui croaked. She swallowed, her breathing no longer sporadic, and sat with both of her hands, gripping each other tightly, in her lap. "I can't believe it, that I'm acting like this. I'm..." Her voice faltered again, and she closed her eyes and tried to shrink into herself. Kyouko gave her arm a squeeze, hoping it would translate into encouragement. When Yui did not move, the blonde girl threw subtlety to the wind and leaned in, hugging the other girl and pulling her close.

She could feel the warmth of her friend's body, and she could hear the small, heart-rending sounds of her crying. "No, it's fine, Yui. There's nothing to be sorry about. It's okay," she crooned, feeling the characteristically unshakable individual tremble in her arms. "This entire mess is my fault anyways, so please—"

"Why aren't you mad? Why aren't you angry with me, because of what I said?"

"—don't feel bad," she finished, quieter than she had started. Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to continue. "How could I be mad at you? You just confessed, you just told me your true feelings—" although she could not bring herself to feel the same way—"and... and now I've hurt you."

Kyouko held Yui to her as a mother would a child, hoping that all the hurtful feelings would be gone soon. While she had been talking, a pair of arms had slipped around her and around her shoulders: that was a good sign. Comforting words passed through her lips in a low tone, and she ran her hand up and down the depression of her friend's back. Never had she expected to play this role, especially not with Yui; even though she was the reason that the girl was troubled in the first place, a warm feeling filled her heart.

"But why not? Kyouko, I know you don't feel the same way." The embrace tightened as Yui spoke; that was probably an unconscious action on her part. Kyouko did not mind. "I saw it on your face, when you stood up. You tried to leave, because you... You don't feel the same way, and it shocked you, right?"

The words, uncertain as they were, struck like an arrow tinged with paralysis poison. In the span of a second, Kyouko felt a handful of emotions try and influence her decision. She wanted to slap herself, for just how badly she had handled herself earlier; she wanted to go back in time, so that she could have avoided this mess in the first place. Or, at the very least, she could have made sure it did not follow the same painful path. Unfortunately, neither of those options was available to her. The only thing Kyouko could do was hug Yui even tighter, as if she was trying to stop the pain by holding tight and not letting go.

"You don't feel the same way, and I know I scare you. It's weird, and it's wrong, and I shouldn't have said anything!" Yui kept talking at an increasingly rushed pace. The words kept coming, tumbling out of her mouth and onto the ground. "I should have stayed quiet, I should have waited for them to go away. I know you're scared of me now. I don't know why you're still here, because you should have left already! You probably hate me by now. Even I hate myse—" She stopped abruptly. Kyouko, holding her companion by the shoulders, looked into a pair of teary, brown eyes and saw the confusion in them. She stared into Yui's eyes; then, at her face, which bore an almost noticable red; then, at her own hand, which had moved of its own volition.

"Yui," she reached up and, with the very hand at fault, stroked the cheek that she had struck. She herself had barely noticed, so it could not have been a serious injury, but she did not want to make Yui feel that the slap had been out of anger. "Don't say that. Please, stop saying those things. It... It hurts, to hear you blame yourself," she murmured, caressing her friend's face. A gasp slipped from Yui's mouth, words soon to follow. Instead of letting her speak, for she knew the question before it had been asked, Kyouko put a hand over the parted lips. "Wait, let me explain first!" Kyouko wanted to smile, but she could not bring herself to do so. She drew in a shaky breath, then she exhaled slowly. Again, she breathed in, then out.

Why had she reacted the way she did, so insensitively and without reason? Her actions at the time of injury had done nothing but make Yui's condition worse, even when her own state of affairs was taken into consideration. There were a dozen other ways she could have confronted the confession, and most of them did not include emotional trauma. No matter how good of an excuse she came up with, an apology was absolutely necessary.

Actually, what were her reasons in the first place? It definitely was not because of Yui or what she had said. Kyouko was, after all, in no way averse to her best friend or even her best friend's romantic thoughts for her. On any other day, she could have treated it with all the normality in the world—with a laugh, a smile, a hug—and the confession might have even left her in higher spirits. However, there were things on her mind that did not agree; it was safe to say that those things were directly related to the events of yesterday.

What should she say? How should she say it? Her head was awhirl with questions but no answers. Saying the wrong thing was the last thing she wanted to do; the risk of that alone was almost enough to put a stopper on Kyouko's courage. She looked again into the desperate eyes of her friend. They were holding each other at arm's length, close enough so that she could make out every detail and expression. Yui's eyes, still wet from crying, seemed to sparkle.

Kyouko did not love Yui, nor did she hate her. If anything, she had been inclined to return the love that her best friend felt for her. However, it was that thought to love Yui plus the memories of yesterday—of Ayano—that fueled her actions. The shock of the confession was not actually because of the confession itself; she was shocked because as soon as she heard the words from Yui, her very first instinct had been to fall in love. Yet, was she not already supposed to be in love? She felt conflicted over the issue. She needed time to think, time to divine her own feelings and figure out who she herself felt most in love with. Ayano had asked her first, but Yui was her best friend. Who was to take priority over the other? Would it be the girl who had liked her for years, or the girl she had known for years? If it would result in someone getting hurt, emotionally or physically, then could it be that her own feelings could not take priority? This was something much, much deeper than just the debate of to love one or to love another.

This was completely different from having friends. Kyouko wished, in the very back of her mind, that she could have avoided any sort of romantic relationship in the first place. At the very least, it would have been much easier if there was only one person, and not two. She could not help but wish that she had not been at the student council room yesterday, or that she had not gone to visit Yui today. If she had only been in one of those places, things might have turned out better.

She sucked in as much air as she could, letting it press down on the weight in her chest. How she would convey all of her emotions and thoughts was not something she had figured out in advance, but this time the words seemed to flow like water through her lips. Even though the storyteller was herself, Kyouko felt like she was listening to another person verbalize her own emotions. Everything, from what had happened in the student council room, in the hallways, on the roof, even in her own mind, was revealed. She confided it all in Yui, who sat and listened without comment.

At some point, Yui had hugged her. Kyouko was not sure when this had happened, or even how or why it had happened, but those were not things she was concerned about. Right now, all that mattered was holding her in both arms. She was leaning on Yui, letting Yui hold her and squeeze her and finger her hair.

The warmth of her best friend was surrounding her, an all-encompassing shield that put her worries to rest.

A minute passed, but it was not with the same uncomfortable quiet as before. Instead, it was the sort of silence that only good friends could share: the type that seemed to speak for itself.

Yui was the one to speak first. "About yesterday. What did you tell Ayano? Do you... Do you feel the same way?"

Kyouko did not respond for a while. Her face, pressed up against Yui's shoulder, showed no signs of the unsurety she actually felt. "I didn't turn her down," she said. Standing in the middle ground and dodging the question was the only way she could answer honestly. She herself did not know whether she reciprocated Ayano's love or not. "I didn't see a reason to. Even now, I don't know what I should... what I should do..."

Her voice, which had performed beautifully only minutes ago, started to fail her. Kyouko swallowed and opened her mouth again to speak, but Yui stopped her simply by hugging her tighter. It was strange to think that their embrace could be any closer or tighter, considering how much they had hugged throughout this entire encounter. It was like they had never left each other's arms for hours on end.

"I sort of get what you're saying," Yui muttered. She sounded distracted, or just thoughtful; Kyouko could not tell the difference. "I'm hoping that these feelings will go away. They just appeared, for no reason, with no build up or anything. I think it's, just a phase. I want to keep you as my friend—not a lover."

"Me too." A wide smile took over Kyouko's face, one that was emphasized by the notes of cheer that had returned to her voice. "I think you're hot and all, but being friends with you is the best decision of my life."

"Way to break the tension, silly." Regardless, the smile was infectious. Relief was plain on Yui's face.


	5. Chapter 5: Y

As it was in most schools, the final bell signaled freedom for Nanamori Middle. Students rose from their seats, cutting off the teacher mid-sentence, and exited the room in loose, idle groups. Words blended together into a din of chatter and laughter. At the front of the class, the teacher frowned but did not move to stop anyone from leaving.

Yui Funami felt a little bad for her, but the instructor was partially to blame for not garnering enough respect for herself among the students. Yui got up from her seat and, as she always did, waited beside the desk in front of her own. The girl at the desk, Kyouko Toshinou, was leaning over the table; her golden hair dropped down and formed a curtain around the piece of paper on her desk. The tip of her pencil was scratching at the paper, adding details so fine that they were invisible from a distance.

"Kyouko," Yui said, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Time to go."

Oftentimes, the budding mangaka would become dead to the world while working on her drawings, or she would simply fall asleep during class. Should she sleep through the bell, which was not uncommon, Yui would rouse her—but only at the end of class. Until then, she left Kyouko to her own devices. There was no point in making a scene every time the girl got sidetracked from paying attention to the lesson. That would make her a hypocrite; on occasion, Yui tuned out from the lecture when she was already familiar with the material.

Kyouko mumbled something and continued to work on her sketch. After some final strokes of her instrument, she slid her drawing into a protective sheet and stood up. Yui's hand fell off her shoulder, and she fell in behind her friend as they joined the students heading for the door.

Filled with the lethargy of returning to school after the weekend, students flooded the hallways of Nanamori. Likewise, the halls were awash with sound: mostly the complaints of bored, tired minors. Before heading off to clubs and afterschool activities, a lot of people waited in the halls to find their friends.

Yui stopped to let a few people pass before weaving around a group of girls. Her friend, Kyouko, was standing across the hallway like she had been there for minutes now. Even though it was not extremely crowded—Yui was just not used to traveling through populated areas, and she never enjoyed those types of places for that reason—Kyouko showed her ability to navigate through hordes of people. Yui made a note to invite Kyouko should an opportunity to travel to a big city like Tokyo ever arise; in popular nightlife districts, Shibuya for example, the girl would prove invaluable to survive the scramble crossings.

Kyouko's eyes scanned the crowd and alighted on Yui, who was approaching her. "Yui!" she waved.

Yui did not hesitate to show her relief at having escaped the crowd. She felt very much like she had played a game of Frogger, with herself being the star—the frog. "There are a lot of people today," she muttered as she looked over the sea of students.

Kyouko also took a look around and shrugged. "Doesn't look like it to me."

"Is something going on today?"

Again, Kyouko shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe someone in our class is popular now?"

Yui paused and took a moment to try and figure out the direction of the people swarming around her. Again, it was not incredibly crowded, but there was an unusual amount of people milling about. The doorway to her class was practically hidden behind a throng of students.

"Actually, you may be right," Yui said, pointing to the mass. "Look."

As the crowd started to back away from the door, a girl with a purple ponytail was revealed to be at the center. She was looking side to side and saying something inaudible from Yui's standpoint.

"Hey, that's Ayano!" Kyouko left Yui's side and vanished into the cluster of students. After hesitating for a second, Yui followed after her.

Regardless of the gathering around the student council vice president, Kyouko reached the eye of the storm in seconds. She sidled her way into the wall of people and called out, "Ayano!"

Ayano started and spun around, apparently startled by the sudden appearance. Her hair flew and nearly smacked Kyouko in the face but ultimately hit nothing. Yui knit her eyebrows at the display; long hair required a lot of maintenance, and most of the time, it ended up being nothing but bothersome.

"Toshinou K-Kyouko!" Ayano blurted after realizing who she had almost slapped. "Sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"

Kyouko shook her head and laughed, reassuring her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Oh, and just call me Kyouko, right?"

Leave it to Kyouko Toshinou to bring up something irrelevant and personal when dozens of strangers were watching. Yui would have put a palm to her forehead if she was not looking for a way to join the two in the middle.

"Oh, um... K-Kyou..."

Yui struggled to escape the confines of the crowd. Kyouko could dodge around everybody, but for Yui, it was a slow and tedious effort to reach the front. Even though she was preoccupied with pathfinding, she could notice the change all around her. The excited and boisterous chatter of the onlookers was replaced by hushed, attentive whispers: the voices of gossips and rumormongers.

"Hey, that girl..."

"... is she?"

"That's Toshinou!"

Yui was already uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people, but the whispers gave rise to an unexplainable tension that crept into every fiber of her being. She forced her way through a thin gap between two students and caught sight of Kyouko tugging at Ayano's hand. Ayano shut her eyes and stuck to Kyouko like a lost child. The pair disappeared back into the crowd.

"What just happened?"

"Did you see that?"

"Toshinou and Sugiura..."

Kyouko was a regular at packed doujinshi conventions, and Ayano was right behind her. Yui knew she had no chance of catching up, but she steeled herself and increased her pace. Treading the fine line between remaining unobtrusive and disregarding those around her, she muddled off in pursuit of her elusive, blonde friend.

 _ **Bottled Hearts**_

On her way to the Amusement Club's room, Yui checked the student council headquarters. Neither Kyouko nor Ayano were there, although the rest of the student council was present. When Yui appeared in the doorway, Himawari was the first to greet her.

"You look worried, Funami-san. Are you looking for someone?" Himawari looked around the room. "The vice president and secretary aren't here," she informed.

"Yeah, Kyouko ran off with your vice president in tow. I'd tell you more, but I actually have to find her right now."

Himawari drew her brows together and stuck out her lip. "Oh?" she hummed. "Okay. Have you seen Chitose? She hasn't been around either."

Chitose shared the same homeroom as Ayano, as well as Kyouko and Yui, so it was more common than not to find the girls as a pair. Owing to the abnormal popularity of the vice president today, it was likely that Chitose was held back by sheer inability to keep up with her. Yui herself had almost fallen prey to being swept away.

She told them what she knew about Chitose, which was not much other than the flock of students surrounding her class. She had not seen Chitose when Kyouko made her daring escape, leaving the student council to conclude that she would turn up eventually.

Two minutes later, Yui came to a stop in front of the abandoned tearoom. The door was open all the way, like someone had flung it open in a hurry. There was no question who was responsible. Yui closed the door on her way in. If Kyouko's goal had been to shake off any unwanted pursuers, leaving the door wide open was counterproductive; she may as well have written Ayano's full name on the wall of the building.

Thankfully, the massing students had seemed perturbed by what had happened, but nobody followed the girls all the way to the club. Yui was glad to be inside the secluded club building; the crowd and the whispering voices could not track her here.

The scene she walked into was exactly what she expected it to be: Kyouko, Ayano, and the two other members of the Amusement Club were sitting at the table in the middle of the room. Kyouko was talking animatedly about something or other.

"Yui-senpai!" Chinatsu Yoshikawa stood up. "Welcome back!"

Her presence announced, and four pairs of eyes on her, Yui sat down at the table in her usual casual manner. After she gave her greeting and explained why she was late, Kyouko related the events that led up to Ayano joining them at the table. Since Yui had been witness to the whole thing but did not feel like taking over as story teller, she simply sat back and played the observer, jumping in whenever Kyouko diverged from the truth.

Once Kyouko was finished recounting everything that had happened, Akari spoke to the guest visitor, Ayano. "Were there really that many people around you, Ayano-senpai?"

Ayano nodded. "It was a mess. I was scared, just a bit."

"Then I, Kyouko, came in and saved the day!" laughed none other than Kyouko herself. "Reminds you of a certain heroine of love and justice, huh?" she boasted and puffed out her chest.

Chinatsu looked at Yui, then back at Ayano. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why was everyone trying to get to you? Did you do something?"

"I don't think so," the purple-haired girl shook her head. She confirmed that she, to her knowledge, did not do anything to draw attention to herself. Ayano was popular in her own right, but there had to be a reason behind the sudden interest in her person. Yui had a hunch that she already knew what it was, but she decided to keep quiet for the time being.

Snippets of conversations and muttered asides resurfaced in her memory, the most notable having been said after Kyouko made her appearance. What particularly stood out to Yui was that the students, nearly all of whom she did not know, showed recognition at Kyouko's name.

 _"Toshinou and Sugiura..."_

As much as she wanted to perish the thought, Yui was sure it was the reason so many people were clamoring to talk to Ayano. Rumors spread like wildfire, but they had a habit of avoiding whoever was in the spotlight.

Just before she opened her mouth to bring it up, she saw that Kyouko had pulled Ayano aside. They talked for a couple seconds. Ayano shook her head and said something in a hesitant, inaudible voice.

Kyouko released her grip on the girl's sleeve and scooted back to her seat. Ayano did the same. Yui saw the two youngest members of the Amusement Club share a confused look. To her knowledge, Akari and Chinatsu were unaware of the experimental relationship between their club's founder and the student council vice president. Because of that, Yui refrained from speaking her mind. Kyouko and Ayano had not revealed their relationship yet, and Yui respected that. Even if they were just rumors, they stemmed from the truth.

Perhaps due to awkwardness, or merely a lack of ideas, the discussion stalled. Silence did not last long in the Amusement Club though, mainly due to a particular blue-eyed individual. As always, Kyouko was the one to revive the conversation by introducing something unrelated. Kyouko was dependable in that way, though Yui began to question that nation as her friend's behavior became increasingly random and melodramatic.

The next ten minutes of the conversation were uninteresting, until there was a knock on the door. The thin wooden frame creaked, and the visitor turned out to be the missing secretary, Chitose. When she saw Ayano, she exclaimed happily.

"I've been looking for you!" she said, taking a seat next to her friend. "It was so chaotic today. Everyone was asking me about you."

At this, Chitose had the girls' undivided attention. Since Chitose was close to Ayano, it only made sense that she would become a secondary target. When Ayano prompted her to continue, Yui could have sworn she saw sparks fly in the second-year's eyes.

"Ayano-chan, Toshinou-san, have you gotten together?"

For obvious reasons, the words came as a shock rather than a surprise. It was not the question per se that was a cause for concern but how Chitose got the idea that the two were dating. Undoubtedly, she had heard rumors from curious students, but the source of the half-truths was still unknown.

Yui was not surprised when Ayano recovered from her shock and gave a yell. "D-d-dating?" she stammered, hands flailing about. "No, no, nooo! We aren't!"

That was another cause for concern: Ayano's adamant denial coupled with the obvious fact that she was lying. She and Kyouko were in a relationship. Kyouko herself had confided in Yui about it!

Speaking of Kyouko, she reacted minimally. Her dull blue eyes were wide, but she looked to be more focused on her supposed girlfriend than herself. If she was confused by Ayano's contradiction, she did not show it.

"Um, Ayano?" Kyouko's voice wavered. She drew her lips together then opened them, but no words followed.

"What? What is it?!"

The student council president was frantic and impossible to approach. It took nearly a minute for her to calm down enough to respond without snapping. Yui knit her eyebrows and flexed her fingers as she watched the painful interaction between the two. Ayano was awkward, and Kyouko seemed to be at a loss.

Seeing Kyouko speechless reminded Yui of what had happened a few nights ago. She remembered the conversation she had shared with her best friend, the distance between them in both body and mind, and the slew of words from a confused girl who had never loved or been in love before.

Ayano's gaze flitted around the room. Every few seconds, her eyes landed on Kyouko's only to flit away a moment later, refusing to make contact for more than a moment. Yui cleared her throat with the intention of warning Ayano to stop being a nervous wreck.

Something poked Yui in the side. She looked away from the stuttering mess and saw Chinatsu leaning toward her to speak in an undertone. "Yui-senpai, what's going on?" she asked. Her voice was low and sounded different than usual, maybe because Yui almost never heard her pink-haired friend whisper before.

"Just..." she hesitated and glanced at the pair sitting across from her. "Just wait. Those two will explain everything."

Unsatisfied by the response, Chinatsu sat back and frowned. "Oh. If you say so..."

Behind her, Akari also appeared to be let down, but she smiled and whispered, "We'll all find out together, huh?"

Yui stifled a pang of guilt. She already knew all the details, but that was because Kyouko chose her as a confidant. It was not her place to spill secrets that were not her own, but she did not enjoy leaving her friends in the dark. Whether it was bending the truth or pretending to be something she was not, deceit was an act that she did not feel comfortable committing. She shut out Akari and Chinatsu and focused on the crux of the matter.

While Yui had been talking to the other two, Kyouko and Ayano had reached some sort of agreement. Their private conference over, Kyouko was smiling at the purple-haired girl, who was hunching her shoulders and staring at her lap. Chitose, oblivious to her friend's internal conflict, had not removed her glasses, but she was holding a partially blood-stained tissue to her face.

"Uh, I... We have an a-announcement"—Ayano stumbled and swallowed her words—"to make?" she mumbled, doubt creeping into her voice. Kyouko gave her support, putting a hand on her shoulder, and crooned softly. It was a strange feeling to see Kyouko acting so gentle and controlled. An unpleasant emotion tugged at Yui's heart, but she ignored it.

"Me and Toshinou Kyouko are d... going out," Ayano finished quietly. Kyouko smiled again. Yui busied herself by gauging the reactions of the others in the room.

Akari was easily the most surprised; her exclamation of shock was a tell-all. Chinatsu was lost for words, though her face was neutral at most. Yui thought the girl was indifferent, a feeling only intensified by the blank stare she received from the girl.

Yui did not know how she herself was supposed to react. Was she to be shocked, pleased, surprised, or relieved? Would it be too much to feign surprise, or should she have done so out of courtesy?

Never mind Chitose, who was practically squirming with delight.

As if to seal the contract, Kyouko let out a cheer and hugged her blushing friend. Ayano squirmed, maybe for the same reason as Chitose, and muttered some unconvincing protest.

Following that, the two were bombarded by an onslaught of questions from Akari. Though normally passive, the redhead wanted to know everything about her friends' new relationship. Her confidence grew with every answer received, and her inquires gradually became more and more personal, until she was shut down by the more bashful of the pair.

"Alright, that's it!" Ayano stood up without answering Akari's last question. "I think that's enough, there's nothing else to see here, really!"

Disappointment showed on Akari's face, and Kyouko's as well. "Ayanooo, come on!" pouted the blue-eyed girl. "I wanna know how long you've liked me too!"

Yui did not bother to pay attention. She was still stuck on Ayano's behavior throughout the interrogation, if a single question could be called that. It was disturbing, how the girl had been embarrassed and reluctant to a fault. It was understandable to be a little flustered by the attention, because Kyouko was the only one among them capable of acting unaware in the spotlight. However, there was something about Ayano's behavior that made Yui uneasy...

She chastised herself for having those thoughts. Some unsavory feeling must have been acting in judgement's stead: jealousy, maybe, or protective instincts. Yui knew that Ayano was not a bad person, just a little misguided, and she had not done anything wrong. There was nobody at fault—if anything, Yui was the one harboring faithless accusations against her own friends.

Seeing that Ayano looked like she wanted desperately to leave, Yui threw her a bone. "Let's call it for today. We could all use some time, with all that's happened today."

Nobody objected to the suggestion. Gratitude practically shimmered in the eyes of the student council vice president, and her lips parted to say "Thank you" as the occupants of the room slowly fidgeted and started to pack up. Next to Yui, Akari stood up with her bag already in hand. She inclined her head to look at Chinatsu.

"Chinatsu-chan, do you want to come over to my house?" she offered her hand. "I still want to avoid everyone else, since I was sick, but we had the same illness. It should be fine, right?"

Apparently unwilling to refuse such a generous and well-phrased invitation, although she did hesitate, Chinatsu nodded and let Akari help her to her feet. "I guess we're out, then. Sorry Yui-senpai, but I can't let you catch my cold."

Yui nodded gratefully. She, and a million others, did not enjoy being sick; it went without saying. On top of that, Chinatsu's borderline obsessive behavior had started to weigh on her mind whenever they were together. While she did not dislike the girl or her sentient pink hair, it was getting difficult for Yui to breathe while Chinatsu was fawning over her.

Chitose was the next to leave. She stood up in a rush, hastily wadding tissues into a ball. "I-I should get going to. I'm happy for you, Ayano-chan! Go on lots of dates, okay?"

"What an odd thing to say," sighed Yui, after Chitose had left. A funny yet slightly scary idea crossed her mind, that Chitose had a part in spreading the rumors. Yui dismissed it, knowing the girl was close friends with Ayano and would never overstep her boundaries. Still, it was a frightening thought.

Yui put her hands on the ground and slowly stood up. "And then there were three," she said with a glance at her friends. "I'm gonna head home."

Kyouko grinned and scooted closer to Yui. "D'you want me and Ayano to company you?"

"Accompany," Yui corrected automatically. "And no, I'll be fine alone."

"Alone and lonely, huh? Looks like Yui really doesn't want us tagging along, Ayano!"

Yui paused. Kyouko was being considerate in a way that did not match her personality. It was played off well in a joking manner, but the lack of resistance was a clear indicator that something was different.

For her part, Ayano was gaping. She seemed to snap out of it when Kyouko addressed her. "Huh? That's fine," she said without hesitating. It was a typical absentminded answer.

Yui could not help but ask "Something on your mind?"

Ayano looked at her, then at Kyouko, and red flooded into her cheeks. That made it obvious what kind of thoughts she was entertaining. Kyouko noticed as well, and a sly grin formed on her face.

"Oh, is Ayano thinking about our _daaate_?" she moved closer, her expression frozen on her lips. Ayano backpedaled and gestured incoherently with her hands to make up for her malfunctioning voice box.

Yui ducked her head and strapped her bag over her shoulder. There was nothing else for her to do here. She saw no reason to stick around and wait for someone who was not planning to follow her home. Kyouko was still advancing on her victim, so she would not see Yui wave goodbye.

Even with that in mind, Yui stopped when she reached the door. It was rude to walk out without saying goodbye, but neither Kyouko nor Ayano were watching.

"What? But we have school!" came Ayano's voice in response to something Yui did not hear.

"Oh yeah. How about this weekend? Saturday! No wait, Sunday! I have things to do on Saturday," Kyouko fired off several dates, finally deciding on one she liked.

By that time, Yui was already too far out the door to hear the details of what would happen on Sunday.


	6. Chapter 6: A

Ayano walked around her room idly. Today was Sunday, a particularly important date for her. Having finally, somehow, won a date with Toshinou Kyouko, every day leading up to this day had felt like a dream. If not for the calming silence of early morning, her excitement would have boiled over onto the carpet.

Outside, the sky was overcast but bright nonetheless. Morning sunbeams broke through chinks in the cloud layer, lending light to the world ensconced from the sky. Ayano could see nobody outside; at this time, most people were only getting ready to leave their houses.

The meeting time that she and Kyouko had agreed on was about an hour away. Still in her sleepwear, Ayano stopped in front of her closet and pushed the sliding door open. While she had never been inordinately interested in fashion, inside her closet was a multicolored collection of clothing. At least twenty outfits of different shapes and shades were lined up on coat hangers. Over a year or two, her meager wardrobe had been augmented with presents and the occasional purchase.

"I have so many options..."

Shifting some of her clothes to the side, she chewed on her lip and scanned her closet. Whichever she chose for her date with Toshinou Kyouko, it needed to be the right level of informality. Wearing a full-blown dress might be too proper, but a blouse would do just fine.

"Paris precision," she affirmed happily to herself as she selected an outfit and scrutinized it. A red blouse and white skirt would help her stand out, especially on a cloudy day like this. These colors were bright, casual, and sharp. Holding the fabric up to catch the light, she smiled in satisfaction.

 _Bzzt. Bzzzt!_

Nearly dropping her clothes out of surprise, Ayano glanced at her dresser beside the closet. Her cellphone vibrated again, rattling a tiny pink keychain that dangled off the edge.

The student council president carefully laid her clothes on the table and picked up the phone.

Kyouko's jubilant voice greeted her instantaneously. "Hey Ayano!"

"Toshinou—" Ayano was cut off before she could say a word.

"I was just wondering about something. When you picked the date, did you know it was gonna rain?"

"Rain?" Ayano was taken aback. "No, I didn't know. Is it raining right now?"

A brief look at the window told her that it was not raining. However, the clouds that loomed in the sky suddenly appeared much more foreboding than before.

Ayano could faintly hear her date humming. "The radio said there'd be rain from noon to midnight. Sort of a bummer, huh?"

Eyes narrowed, the girl held her hair in her lap and stared out the window. Of all the days it could have rained, it had to be today. This must have been one of the most unfortunate forecasts of all time. Her spirits were dampened when they had started out so high. If only she had known about the weather earlier, when she had picked the date. Rain today, of all days, was completely unfair!

"Sugiura Ayano!" Her phone buzzed in her hand. "Huh. Did she hang up?"

"Wait, I'm still here!" Ayano shouted at the receiver before Kyouko could end the call. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. About the date..."

"Are you still going to come? We can cancel and go another day, if you don't want to go out in the rain."

With one last look at the window, Ayano nodded. Then she remembered that her date couldn't see her and responded hurriedly, "Of course! You'd better be there, Toshinou Kyouko, or I'll never forgive you!"

Kyouko only laughed over the line.

 _ **Bottled Hearts**_

Before Ayano left the house, and on her way to the meeting spot, she fixed her clothes several times to make sure she looked perfect. At the last minute, she had elected to bring a light sweater and a pair of stockings to keep herself warm while she waited for her date. Her red and white casual wear did stand out against the rainy backdrop of the city, sure, but it did little to nothing in terms of warding off the elements.

The location that the both of them had agreed on was a popular lunch cafe renowned for its quick service and welcoming atmosphere. Although it was a little cold, Ayano had decided to stand outside until her partner arrived.

Because of the rain, everything seemed muted: the colors, the sounds, and the people. All the vibrancy and the volume of the city was a tone lesser than usual. The _rata-ta-tap_ on Ayano's umbrella kept her awake—not that she could ever fall asleep standing up.

Time seemed to slow, yet it never stopped completely. The transition from day to night was nigh imperceptible in this weather, but the streets remained in motion with people hurrying from place to place.

Switching her umbrella to her other hand, the anxious girl reached again for her phone to check the time. Only minutes remained until the top of the hour. Kyouko would surely arrive soon, but there was a slight chance that something had happened. Maybe she had forgotten the time or gone to the wrong place. Ayano was tempted to call her, but she hesitated after clicking on her contacts list.

After battling temptation for a minute, a familiar fair-haired girl appeared around the corner.

"G'afternoon!" she greeted. She was holding an umbrella over her shoulder, only barely covering her face. "Whoa, Ayano, why are you waiting outside? It's a little cold. You could've gone in, you know."

Kyouko walked past and opened the door to the cafe. Ayano opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly she felt her reasoning silly. Standing outside in the rain when she could have been inside a heated building now seemed like a cheesy, romantic idea. But it was simply a gesture...

"Well, whatever," the blonde laughed and beckoned for her to enter. "Let's go in and get some food!"

Within minutes, they were seated at a table adjacent to the wall. Kyouko grabbed a menu and flipped it open to the first page. While she pored over the lunch choices, her friend sat hesitantly. Even with the familiar atmosphere of the restaurant cafe, Ayano wanted less to look at the menu than she did to stretch her arms and legs. She listened to the rain through the window and watched the drops streaking down the glass.

"Say, what are we gonna do after we eat?" asked Kyouko, breaking Ayano's trance. "I think we should go shopping and stuff, since that's what most people do on dates."

Kyouko's statement was so self-referential, so meta, that Ayano was taken aback. Was it okay to be that blunt about what was supposed to happen on a date? It sort of killed the mood.

Swallowing those worries, Ayano nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Afterwards, let's walk around town together."

The couple spent half an hour on lunch. Much to her own surprise, Ayano felt at ease. She had been worried that she would freeze up during the date, but in truth it was much easier to talk with Kyouko in a one-on-one situation.

They paid for their meal and walked out together. Simultaneously, they opened their umbrellas and stepped out into the rain.

"Can we go this way?" Kyouko pointed down the street. "The store I always shop at just restocked yesterday. I wanna see if there's any of the new stuff left!"

"We can go if you want," Ayano agreed after a moment. "What kind of store is it though?"

Kyouko grinned and gave a thumbs up. "The kind that I appreciate!"

Faintly disappointed, Ayano hid her expression and nodded. She walked with her date down the ever familiar road. Couldn't the girl visit her hobby stores any day? Ayano felt like she was stuck accompanying Kyouko on her rounds. While she respected the girl's dedication to culture, she wanted to go somewhere new and fun for the both of them.

They crossed the road twice, turned a corner, walked for a short while, and talked very little. The street had narrowed, from wide sidewalks and lanes, into a comfortable two-way avenue. Concrete roads had been replaced with packed dirt, and the puddles were larger and much more frequent.

Rainwater dripped from the spokes of Kyouko's umbrella. It spun slowly clockwise, then counterclockwise, then clockwise again. Kyouko's eyes were fixed somewhere ahead, and she hummed a tune. Ayano listened for a few seconds. It was vaguely familiar, as if she had heard it before. It was music from a video game, but not one Ayano had played. Perhaps she had simply seen someone playing and listened to the music.

Kyouko stopped humming. The sound of a car engine filled the silence. At the far end of the street, a gray blob on the road slowly grew larger as it approached.

The girl's eyes were still looking in the direction of the gray car. Her fixation was almost uncanny, like she was predicting an accident. Was she paranoid?

Ayano looked between her date and the approaching car. The gray vehicle stayed on course, turning neither left nor right. "What are you doing, Toshinou—"

"Hiyaaah!"

Without warning, Kyouko stepped forward and swung her umbrella down like a shield. The car sped past and sent a jet of water from under its wheels. Kyouko's outstretched umbrella deflected it to both sides, leaving the two girls mostly dry.

"What the!?" Ayano stammered, taking a step back. "What in the world are you—"

"Yes! Not this time," shouted Kyouko at the passing car. She pumped her fist in the air, celebrating a personal victory. "I've been waiting to do that!"

Impassive to the heroic act that had just ensued, the car sped away and turned the corner. The puddle it had just driven over rippled and leveled. Ayano still did not fully understand what had just happened. She stood still and gaped as her guardian twirled her umbrella and raised it back over her head.

"My legs still got wet though." Kyouko frowned and looked down at her dampened pants. "I might need a bigger umbrella."

"Pff... Hahaha!"

Ayano covered her mouth and turned away, hiding from Kyouko's curious look. Whatever had just occurred made little sense to her except for the fact that Kyouko was somehow completely serious about something completely ridiculous.

It barely even mattered why Kyouko had been ready to block the jet of water. Whatever reason she had, it had turned into a gesture so random and romantic that Ayano could not help but laugh.

"Are you laughing at me?" Kyouko said with a pout. The fact that she seemed genuinely upset only made it harder for Ayano to resist. Sucking in air through her teeth, the purple-haired girl held her breath and tried to put on a straight face.

"N-no, I swear I'm not. Cross my heart!"

"Really... Here, take this!" Kyouko grabbed her umbrella with both hands and winded it up behind her.

"Ah! What are you doing, Toshinou Kyouko!"

Despite the gesture, Kyouko grinned and lifted the umbrella back over her head in a second.

"Just kidding," she smirked. "Come on, you know it was a joke!"

Ayano scoffed at first, but then she shook her head and sighed. "T-Toshinou..." the student council vice muttered. "What are you even thinking half of the time?"

Just across the street was their stop: a single-story building with a section of floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Kyouko stepped under the front door awning and closed her umbrella with an easy snap. Ayano followed suit and entered the store after her date.

A bell jingled when they entered. A cashier sitting at the checkout looked up from their laptop.

"Welcome to Players," they greeted and smiled automatically. "We're not so busy right now, so take your time. Our newer stuff is right over there, but what you're looking for might have sold out already."

Kyouko nodded and placed her umbrella down in a basket by the entrance.

"Ayano," she turned back to her friend. "You can look around if you want. I've gotta look for something."

With that, the blonde headed toward the section that the cashier had indicated. Still holding her dripping umbrella, Ayano watched as Kyouko started to check the shelves thoroughly.

"A... Alright," she mumbled, knowing she would not get a response.

Gently, she set her umbrella down next to Kyouko's. The shop worker smiled at her as she passed.

The store, Players, was set up in orthodox fashion, with aisles of shelves of games and books. A few of the titles and franchises Ayano saw lining the shelves were familiar to her, and she read them briefly as she walked with slow steps.

After browsing the endless selection for minutes, one of the books caught her eye. She recognized it instantly. Ayano picked it gingerly off the shelf and examined the cover. She had watched an anime of the same name and heard it was sourced from a light novel. This was it!

"Oh, you like that one?" Kyouko appeared as if she had been summoned. Ayano started and clutched the book to her chest. "Heheh, I see..." She cackled and grinned with sleazy eyes.

"Wh-what is it to you?"

"Heh," Kyouko chuckled once more before a real smile came to her face. "I read that book after watching the anime, but I liked the show better. People say the anime left out a lot of good plot points, mainly a lot of the side characters' backstories. You might actually like the book, since you're into details and lore and stuff."

Ayano examined the book again. Her eyes glossed over the 850-yen price tag. The cover page of the novel was colorful and smooth to the touch, a professionally drawn illustration of the two main characters overlooking their fantasy world.

She hesitated but decided she would put the book back. But before she could place it back on the shelf, Kyouko took the book from her and dropped it in the basket.

"Here, I have some extra yen. Let's buy it!"

Without waiting for a response, the girl took Ayano by the arm and pulled her toward the register. Though she protested weakly, Ayano had no real objections with Kyouko's initiative. It had been a long time since she had read a light novel, and she had nothing to lose.

At the register, a brown-haired customer had just finished paying for his purchases. He waved at the employee, grabbed his plastic bag, and left the store. Next in line, Kyouko placed a short stack of games and books on the counter—at least thirty thousand yen's worth of stuff. The cashier started from the top and methodically scanned each barcode. One of the titles caught their eye, and they stopped to nod in approval.

"Another Dagger Quest fan?" asked the worker with a proud smile. "There's a fair bit of grinding in this one. Not much as changed from the original version on the home console."

"That's fine," Kyouko replied easily. "My friend likes it better that way. She prefers to have her hero at least five levels above every boss so she knows she'll win."

Ayano knew in an instant that Kyouko was talking about Yui. She had watched Yui play games in her apartment, and the girl was definitely the type to overprepare.

Kyouko and the cashier talked for a bit, clearly about something within the game. Unable to join the discussion, Ayano simply waited for it to be over.

The girl beamed, nodded, and talked so animatedly. Yet her enthusiasm was for something foreign to Ayano. Her enthusiasm was for a game which Ayano had never played—a dimension which Ayano had never been to before.

Clinking coins roused the student council vice from her daze. Done with the transaction, Kyouko bagged up all her purchases.

"I'll keep your book in here for now," she said and put Ayano's new book in the bag with all of her own things. "Just so you don't have to carry it around. I'll give it to you before we go home today."

They bid farewell and a good day to the store employee. Grabbing their umbrellas, they stepped out once again into dreary reality. Kyouko fingered the extension of her umbrella and glanced upward. Clouds still blotted the sky.

"It's not raining as hard now," she noted, "but I can't let any water get into the bag, so I'll need this.

They stood under the overhang for a while. Ayano did not feel particularly rushed to walk out into the rain, and by the looks of it neither did Kyouko. Thus they waited in front of the store, their eyes roaming, every now and then glancing at each other.

Time came to an impasse. The sun was obscured, so it was impossible to tell naturally what hour it was. The rain continued to come down, neither lightening nor intensifying. Ayano looked behind her at the rain-streaked glass. The cashier looking at their laptop was the only soul left in the Players building.

Kyouko said nothing. She only hummed and peered out at the rain. Whenever she met Ayano's eye, the ever-present smile lurking on her lips widened a little.

A few more hours were left before sunset. There was so much they could potentially do: more shopping, some strolling, maybe karaoke. If they were out long enough, they could even go out to dinner. Ayano had in mind a few places she thought Kyouko would like, but she would wait to suggest anything.

To break the silence, she spoke up hesitantly. "Is there anything you feel like doing? We still have a lot of time, so..."

"I don't care," Kyouko shrugged and smiled carelessly. "Anywhere you feel like going."

"Ah. Okay."

Neither girl said anything. For all of the ideas she had just had, Ayano tried and failed to pick one that she felt Kyouko would like. Either it was not fit for a rainy day or it was not something the other girl would find fun. Every idea she shot down on the spot.

If there was anything good about this situation, it was that Kyouko seemed passive to whatever suggestion Ayano threw out there. Her indifference meant that she would probably be satisfied with going anywhere.

Indifference was such an acerbic word, but Ayano struggled to find another that would work better in its place...

Collecting her words, the student council president gave her suggestion.

"Do you want to just walk to the other side of the city?" Her voice and confidence cracked near the end of her sentence, turning it from a statement into a question.

With a glance down at her bag, Kyouko scratched her head.

"In the rain?" she queried, sounding unsure. "I'm fine with that, but what is there across the city? Some specific shop or something?"

"Well, no"—Ayano made a hopeless gesture with her hands—"nothing, really. But isn't it better than just standing here?"

A car roared past, its tail light flashing red as it slowed at a corner, turned down a side street, and vanished out of sight. After a few seconds, Kyouko nodded reluctantly. The two started on their way.

 _ **Bottled Hearts**_

Soon after they started walking, the storm let up. Though it was no longer raining, the clouds lingered and refused to disperse. The sky was still gray, and gusts of wind kept the air chilly. Both girls closed their umbrellas but kept them ready to be deployed in case the weather changed again.

Chipper now that the rain was gone, Kyouko drew Ayano's attention to her bag by giving it a light rustle.

"Say Ayano, how often do you play games? I know you've watched me and Yui play before, but how much gaming do you actually do?"

"Not much," the purple-haired student admitted. During the week days, her time was spent mainly finishing schoolwork, studying, and reading books. She played a little at her friends' houses, but she had never been exposed to very much gaming culture. "My family doesn't own any game consoles unless you count computers."

"Oh. Computer games aren't great anyway. You're better off at an arcade!"

Knowing she could not say much else on the subject, Ayano chose not to pursue the topic. Unfortunately this meant silence, but it was better than a one-sided discussion.

A few minutes passed before she was ready to carry on the conversation.

"Toshin—um, Kyouko. Do you have any goals? About what you want to do after you finish school, or where you want to visit after graduating?"

Kyouko set her eyes forward. She held her chin ponderously and tilted her head. It surprised Ayano to see the girl weigh her response so carefully. She was suddenly much more interested in hearing what the girl had to say.

"I want to live in a studio," blurted Kyouko, "in an apartment like Yui's, but in a bigger city. I even sketched my dream house before, but I keep going back to add more and more details. I want it to be one of those skyscrapers, where each room has a glass wall where you can look out over the whole city. I would put a mattress and a bunch of pillows next to the window, so it's like a little loft where I can sleep and wake up and draw in the mornings when it's really bright outside. And I've always wanted to hang little potted plants from the ceiling right above my bed! Then, for the living room, a low table and a hanging light, and right next to that..."

Kyouko went on and on, painting with words the studio apartment of her dreams. Her imagery was clear and vivid, like she had drawn the scene a hundred times with closed eyes. The level of detail with which she described the room was impossibly precise.

The sofa would be white and plush with a gray woolen blanket folded twice and draped over the edge, the whole piece resembling a rice ball wrapped with seaweed. In front of it, a decorative tray with smooth pebbles and autumn-colored bamboo sticks would sit upon the low table, and four square marble coasters backed with cork would be stacked to one side of the tray. On days when Kyouko was not so busy, she would wrap herself in the blanket, leaving her hands free, and draw whatever she liked.

She would be an independent artist, a professional manga artist graduated from a famous artist's college. She would draw for a living, but at the same time she would draw for the sake of drawing. Selling her work, collecting royalties, and living a life surrounded by her own creations were her penultimate ideals.

"But what I want more than anything"—Kyouko's excitement slowed, and Ayano snapped out of her reverie—"is to be able to come back here to this city every week. My parents aren't gonna move, ever. My mom lives here, and Dad too when he isn't working, and neither of them are planning to get a new house. So, even when I move out, I'll know where I can find them. Because after Dad retires, they'll both be here together in the same house. They'll greet me at the door on Saturday evenings when I come for family dinner, and then I can make breakfast and take them out to lunch on Sunday."

Ayano felt like she was talking to a different person. Hearing the normally whimsical girl talk so openly about herself was unreal. All indication of her mischievous nature had left her face, and she spoke with a sort of sobriety and maturity which Ayano had never seen from her before. There was passion in her sky-blue eyes, there was yearning in her voice, and there was wistfulness on her lips. There was so much she did not know about this girl.

Had Ayano ever thought that deeply about anything? Her goals in life, did she even have any? She was only a middle-school student, not even age sixteen yet, and she had never thought of making a life out of her studies or interests. But Kyouko was in the same grade as her, older but not by much, and here she had already begun to draw out the rest of her life in pencil.

The purple-haired girl stopped walking, noticing that Kyouko was no longer by her side. She turned around and saw that Kyouko was standing at the corner.

"Oh, I live down this way," said the girl with blonde hair. "I had a lot of fun today, but I should go home before it gets too late."

Kyouko waved and smiled. With one last "See you!" she disappeared around the corner. Ayano ran back to the spot where she had just been.

Kyouko was already walking away. Ayano opened and closed her mouth fruitlessly, wanting to say something to her friend's retreating back. But with every second that passed, she felt her opportunity slipping away.

Ayano hesitated at the corner for a little while longer before giving up. She continued in the same direction she had been going in the first place.

"Toshinou Kyouko..." She said the name quietly to herself. "Toshinou Kyouko... Kyouko. What kind of amazing person are you really?"

Ayano took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air that was cool and clean.

"What are you even thinking half of the time?"


End file.
